The Business of Architecture*

Association of Consulting Architects Australia

* The ACA leads the discussion on business and employment matters in Australian architecture - we provide timely advice, information and resources; promote debate and advocate for better business practices and legislative frameworks. Welcome to the conversation.

The Social Conscience of Architecture

30 August 2019

Robert Goodliffe recently spoke at an ACA – Vic/Tas event on the importance of social responsibility in architecture, revealing how a holistic approach can build culture internally and provide a resilient business model.

How to Solve the Building Practitioner Insurance Crisis in Australia

2 July 2019

The PI insurance crisis is upon us – but how did it come to this? Senior Construction Lawyer Kim Lovegrove identifies the key challenges, and outlines his ideas for bringing the Australian building industry back from the brink.

Avoiding Cyber Attacks

29 May 2019

What are the crown jewels of your practice? Where are they stored and how secure are they? Sherren Hepburn from Planned Cover takes a look at the issues around cybersecurity and offers tips on protecting your precious assets.

Collective Action on Mental Health

21 May 2019

Ben Channon is an Associate and Mental Wellbeing Ambassador at Assael Architecture, and chair of the Architects' Mental Wellbeing Forum in the UK. Ben talks us through the forum's origins and ambitions.

Is Architectural Practice Making Architects Sick?

21 May 2019

Professor Naomi Stead, Head of Architecture at Monash University, is one of the champions of a proposed new research project currently under development, Mental Wellbeing of Architects and Architecture Students: Culture, Education and the Workplace, which aims to examine links between architectural culture and identity and mental wellbeing. Here, Naomi takes a quick look at the issues.

Special Conditions for ABIC BW 2018 C

Shergold Weir Report Implementation

28 April 2019

The Building Confidence Report Implementation Plan has now been released. What does it mean for the architecture profession? Where are the opportunities and what are the challenges? How is the ACA working on a response? We present a summary of the plan and ACA commentary for each state and territory.

Forget Design Quality, it’s all about Design Risk!

17 April 2019

Thinking about design risk in strategic terms is imperative for the profession, but it is often sidelined in practice, and is barely mentioned in architecture schools. Peter Raisbeck explores the concept of design risk.

Building Skills in Practice

21 March 2019

Informal learning, partnered with formal training and development, are of enormous benefit to practices as well as individuals. ACA partner Cbus identifies some of the ways you can amplify learning in your practice.

Building Commissioner Auditing Not Enough

13 February 2019

The NSW Government announcement of a new Building Commissioner to audit building design and construction does not go far enough. Government needs to investigate the construction contracting methods, relationships and behaviours that affect building quality and safety.

New Construction Product Register

7 February 2019

NATSPEC’s National Construction Product Register is a new tool to ensure quality control and reduce the number of non-conforming products in the Australian built environment. Emma Green from NATSPEC Communications tells us more about how it works.

Key Findings from Non-conforming Building Products Inquiry

5 February 2019

The final report of the inquiry into non-conforming building products was tabled by the Senate Economics References Committee in December 2018. Subtitled “the need for a coherent and robust regulatory regime”, it aims to strengthen accountability and compliance in relation to building products.

Survey Results Available!

A Balanced Outlook for Construction

11 December 2018

The Australian Construction Industry Forum has released its new ACIF Forecasts, with growth expected in non-residential building and infrastructure construction, but the decline in residential building expected to continue.

A Quick Look at Anchoring

Challenging the Banks’ Discrimination Against ABIC

11 October 2018

Warwick Mihaly outlines the findings of the recent survey on the banks and ABIC contracts. The worrying results provided the foundation for the joint submission to the Banking Royal Commission by the ACA, ArchiTeam and the Institute of Architects.

Is Regulation the Answer to Fee Madness?

20 June 2018

Is reintroducing fee scales and further regulation the solution to fee slashing and ‘the race for the bottom’ among architects? Is this really feasible in a world of increasing globalisation and diversification of service providers? Ceilidh Higgins considers other options.

Fee Redemption: A mutually assured future

19 June 2018

The conversation about fees is taking off across social media. John Held argues that many of the contemporary problems facing architects derive from unpriced risk, and that nationwide research and smarter business practices are part of the solution.

Construction contracts - avoiding the pitfalls

Managing your way to profitability

12 September 2017

Dynamic leadership, talented employees, exciting projects and appreciative clients mean little if a firm is stressed and struggling with its bottom line, says Jennekin Dicks. Managing profitability well can make all the difference.

Step Up, Don’t Step Back

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

10 July 2017

The topic of mental health is receiving increasing attention in architecture. So, how can you ensure that your practice is safe and healthy? ACA partner Cbus works with SuperFriend to provide knowledge and resources about mental health, some of which is shared below.

Five Tips for Successful Novation

10 July 2017

For better or worse, it seems that novation is here to stay. So, how can consultants get the best outcomes on novated projects? Wendy Poulton of informed suggested five key factors that can lead to a better novation experience.

Design WA Submissions

Outcomes of the RIBA survey on client attitudes are mostly positive, with most clients pleased with their projects overall and rating architects' design skills highly. Less positively, architects work in managing the process was less well rated and contractors were less satisfied than other clients. The report includes a discussion of implications and opportunities, which will provide useful reading for architects in Australia also.

ACA - WA Welcomes Changes to the DAP System

14 October 2016

ACA – WA welcomes the announcement of amendments and improvements to the Development Assessment Panel (DAP) process in Western Australia by the Hon Donna Faragher MLC, Minister for Planning; Disability Services.

Architecture and Design Fees: Why Hourly Rates?

8 October 2016

The value of a company today is based on ideas rather than assets or staff numbers, so why do architects still charge by the hour? Ceilidh Higgins explores the possibilities for non-traditional fee structures.

“Australia is not making the most of its architecture skills base because gender-based issues appear to be deterring female graduates from completing their registration as architects; gaining suitable employment is also a factor in non-registration for men and women.”

A paper by Susan Shannon, Naomi Webb, Yishu Zeng and Jenna Holder, based in a study of South Australian graduates.

Practice Administrators Group

2016 Salary Survey Report and Analysis

19 August 2016

The ACA has released the report on findings of the 2016 National Salary Survey – salaries are up very slightly, but worrying trends continue – there is still a gender pay gap and some practices persist in paying under Award minimums!

Fast Track Pathways to Registration

Architecture's State of Play: Where to Next

20 May 2016

Michael Pilkington takes a close look at the ACA – SA State of the Profession research, and argues we must take a ‘let's make the cake bigger’ approach to both practice and the way serve the community, “because, simply, we can and we do live fundamentally for some kind of human-betterment”.

Where to From Here: It's Not Even Architecture

19 May 2016

As young practitioners and thinkers deeply invested in our profession's future, Jenna Holder and Athanasios Lazarou consider the issues and make a strong call for collective action. Part of the ACA's Where to From Here series, which invites reflections on the recent ACA SA State of the Profession research.

What Does the 2016 Federal Budget Mean For Architects?

17 May 2016

The 2016 Budget Impact Survey indicates a fairly neutral overall response to the 2016 Federal Budget by architectural practices. The good news is that a over half of respondents are busier than last year, although not all are more profitable. John Held considers the findings.

2016 Budget Impact Survey - Findings

How to Improve Productivity with Design Thinking

19 April 2016

Your staff are the best people to work out how to improve the productivity of your practice. Rena Klein explains the benefits of an Operational Improvement Charette, and provides a guide to running one.

SA State of the Profession - the research is in

19 April 2016

We now know a great deal more about architectural practice in South Australia – three reports provide a comprehensive account of the state of the profession and the opportunities and challenges for the futur

What Are We Going to Do with All the Architects?

Going Global

22 October 2015

The demand for architectural services in the developing world is continuing to grow. Leone Lorrimer considers how Australian architects can make the most of offshore opportunities, and gives the government some pointers on how to help.

New AACA Overseas Qualification Assessment Process

Architecture in Australia - International Comparisons

21 July 2015

The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia has launched a new online matrix enabling the comparison of registration requirements in Australia and elsewhere. This is complemented by an overview of the Australian architecture industry.

Taxable Payments Reporting

Public Private Partnerships For Procurement

13 April 2015

PPP projects do not always deliver all that is claimed – and architects rarely benefit. Ann Gorey reflects on the perceived advantages, claimed benefits and actual costs of this common procurement method.

Deskilling and Reskilling

21 November 2014

John Held reflects on deskilling and reskilling in the profession. Have architects lost the role of ‘trusted advisor’? What do low registration rates mean and what skills do we need to be effective in the future?

Supporting Registration

10 November 2014

Recent research on registration has identified concerns about the way the process impacts negatively on women – and thereby on practice more broadly. What can the ACA and architectural practices do to help improve things?

Procurement Reform

What Makes a City?

10 November 2014

The Hon Dominic Perrottet MP, NSW Minister for Finance and Services, launched the Sydney Architecture Festival with an impressive speech about the role of architects in the making of innovative cities.

Fee Structures and Productivity Output

Presenting to Government

15 October 2014

How architects present in government contexts can have a large impact on their chances of getting the job, or gaining support for a project. Jill Garner, Victorian Associate Government Architect, offers some tips.

New Fixed Fee Scale from Victoria's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

ACA WIREPrice is positively correlated with the value perceived by clients

“In times when every practitioner is struggling with price-down pressures, these research findings are as vital as life blood itself.”

This blog post by professional services consultant George Beaton draws on his company's research about profesional services in general, but architects should find it useful in the current tight fee environment.

“For architects, technology isn’t about productivity. Keeping up with technology is a way for firms stay competitive in the marketplace.”

Interesting article by Daniel Davis on The Architect, which argues that standard measures of productivity are not very helpful when considering architectural work and output. Instead Davis suggests that “we should reconsider what it means to be productive in the construction industry as well as the benefits that technology affords our practices, our clients, and society as a whole”.

2014 Federal Budget

Parlour Guides to Equitable Practice

13 May 2014

The Parlour Guides to Equitable Practice aim to help Australian architecture move towards a more equitable profession; one that offers opportunity for all and is better positioned to meet contemporary challenges.

The 2014 Foresight Report aims to “highlight key trends and to outline their impact” on architectural business in the US and on current and future practice. It also includes strategies immediately related to business, marketing, operations, practice and design and firm leadership.It is available now from the American Institute of Architects. A PDF version can be purchased for $US 10 from the AIA Store.